Nightmares
by Attenia
Summary: A young Estel persuades Legolas to let him sleep in the elf's bed chambers. The prince realizes why his friend is so reluctant to go to bed, and does his best to comfort Estel after a nightmare.


Estel was attached to Legolas' leg so thoroughly that the prince didn't think anything would be able to pry him off.

"You need to go to bed, mellon nin," he told the boy with a smile. "It's late, and your Ada said you have to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep!"

Of course he didn't. Getting Estel to bed was harder than fighting his way through a nest of murderous spiders. Legolas tried and failed to pull the boy's hands away, worried if he used too much force he'd end up dislocating a finger.

"Saes, Estel, your brothers will kill me if I let you stay up all night. I promised them I'd make sure you got to bed."

"Don't want to, don't want to!" Estel clutched the prince tighter, and Legolas rolled his eyes.

"Why not, mellon nin?"

Estel just shook his head. Legolas sighed and started limping toward his chambers, Estel still clinging onto his leg like a monkey.

"How about you sleep here with me?" Legolas offered.

The boy seemed to consider this for a minute. "I can stay all night?"

"All night," Legolas promised. He smiled in relief when Estel nodded. "Then come, let's get you changed."

He shook out the pile of Estel's night clothes he'd had under his arm and helped the boy scramble into them. Legolas got into his own night things and gestured for Estel to join him on the bed. The boy bounced up next to him and allowed Legolas to tuck him in.

"Tell me a story," he demanded.

"What kind of story?"

"About you, about your life in Greenwood!"

A story about life in Greenwood? Valar, his stories would probably give the child nightmares for life, and then Elrond would be after Legolas' blood.

"How about I tell you the tale of Beren and _Lúthien_?"

"Yes, tell me that one, tell me that one!"

Smiling at his young friend's exuberance, Legolas began to tell him the story. Estel drifted off half way through, leaving Legolas to move the child to the other side of the bed. It didn't stick, and within minutes, Estel was back at his side, clutching at Legolas even in sleep.

It had been an exhausting day of chasing Estel all over Imladris, and it wasn't long before Legolas was also asleep.

He was woken by a small whimper. It took Legolas a moment to realize that Estel was having a nightmare. He quickly lit the lamp and shook his friend.

"Estel. Estel, wake up."

The boy's eyes snapped open. "'Las?"

"I am here, mellon nin. You were having a bad dream."

Estel's eyes were slowly filling with tears. He threw himself at Legolas, who hugged the child tightly to his chest. "It is alright, penneth, I am here. It was only a dream."

Estel choked a little over his tears, his body shaking with sobs, and Legolas patted him firmly on the back. He rocked the boy gently and started humming an old Elvish lullaby. For a time, it was quiet but for Estel's crying and the prince's humming. When the boy's tears finally faded to sniffles, Legolas spoke.

"Do you want to talk about it, mellon nin?"

"I – it was about my parents. When they died. I couldn't do anything – and there was so much blood."

Legolas closed his eyes for a moment. This child had been through far too much for his tender age.

"I am sorry, Estel. You never should have had to see that. Would you like me to get Elrond, or your brothers?"

Estel shook his head. "Just let me stay here."

"Of course, mellon nin."

The boy flatly refused to go back to sleep, but was eventually lulled into rest by Legolas' continued rocking and soft lullaby. Fortunately, the remainder of the night passed without another nightmare, and when Estel woke, he was just as bouncy and cheerful as usual.

Legolas was glad they'd risen early, because there was no small amount of chaos a few halls down, where it seemed Elladan had found Estel's room empty. The prince quickly scooped Estel up and hurried to the sound of the disturbance.

"It's alright, Elladan, I have him!"

"Estel!" Elladan pried his brother from Legolas' arms, his face filled with relief. "You gave everyone a scare."

"Sorry. 'Las let me sleep with him!"

Elladan grinned at Legolas. "Got you too, did he?"

"What?"

"Ada says that Estel needs to learn to sleep in his own bed, he's not allowed to stay with us anymore."

"He has nightmares," Legolas said, frowning. Surely, Estel's family knew that?

Elladan kissed his brother's head. "Estel, what does Ada say to do when you have a nightmare?"

"Call him, or you or Elrohir."

"And?"

"And you'll come to my room and sit with me until I'm asleep."

"Exactly. Now, you can call Legolas too, if he's willing to be woken in the middle of the night, but you really do have to start learning to sleep alone, munidor."

Legolas had to laugh at the face Estel made.

"Don't let him talk you into it," Elladan warned. "This little one is very good at getting his way."

Perhaps Legolas was just a sucker, because he couldn't seem to resist Estel's pleading eyes. The boy ended up sharing chambers with him for most of the rest of Legolas' visit, except those times Elrond put his foot down and carried his protesting son back to his own room.

For the most part, though, the elf lord let them be. Estel was young, after all, and needed all the support he could get after what he'd gone through.

As Estel got older, his nightmares faded into history, but Legolas never quite figured out how to keep his friend out of his bed at night. The twins teased them to no end about it when Estel still insisted on sharing Legolas' bed even after becoming a man, but neither of the two friends paid that any mind.

Legolas was glad simply to be close to his best friend. Though they both had nightmares periodically over the years after various battles, they were always there for each other, and they always would be.


End file.
